pretzel and parmesan crusted chicken

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 1 cup light olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary
• 1 teaspoon ground thyme
• ground black pepper to taste
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 7 ounces hard sourdough pretzels
• 2/3 cup freshly shredded parmesan cheese
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Recipe

Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 30 mins Ready Time: 8 hrs 55 mins


• whisk together olive oil, minced garlic, basil, rosemary, thyme, and black pepper in a bowl.
• place chicken breasts between two sheets of heavy plastic (resealable freezer bags work well) on a solid, level surface. firmly pound the chicken with the smooth side of a meat mallet to a thickness of about 1 inch.
• transfer chicken breasts to the bowl with the olive oil marinade; cover and refrigerate overnight.
• preheat oven to 350 degrees f (175 degrees c).
• place pretzels and parmesan cheese into a food processor; pulse until the pretzels are finely crushed and combined with cheese.
• mix in parsley and garlic powder by pulsing once or twice. transfer the mixture to a shallow dish.
• remove chicken from the marinade, and shake off excess. discard the remaining marinade.
• press chicken into pretzel mixture, coating both sides.
• arrange coated chicken in a baking dish. sprinkle about 1 tablespoon additional pretzel mixture on top.
• bake chicken breasts in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 30 minutes. an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees f (74 degrees c).
• cover chicken with a foil tent and allow to rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing and serving.